Sports follows the Monte Carlo competition, which opens the World Rally Age, in this article.
There was no missing event in Monte Carlo’s classic rally when the first full day of the World Rally season was held on Friday.
On Thursday was painful Kalle Rovanperä It was ferocious on Friday’s first EK, forged the bottom time and halved his divorce at 22.4 seconds.
Sami Pajari He said in the finish that he thought he had a tire break but still drove only 3.6 seconds from Rovanperä.
EK5 was canceled because the viewer needed treatment for the disease. For the rally, it was bad news for Rovanperä, which at its late departure would have benefited from improving the conditions of the icy special stage.
– The reason was Kale’s attack, but the starting point also helped. The sun warmed and melted the ice. Those who left the end found much more grip, even though they get more dirt on the road, an expert Henri Haapamäki Vote for Rovanperä’s EK-Pohja time.
Second in the rally Thierry Neuville shook out with the sixth EK.
– The little experience with these new tires solved this. It was dry, but suddenly there was no grip, Neuville comments.
At the top of the rally Elfyn Evans Won Neville in almost two minutes. Also Ot on Tänak There was a program on the same EK, but he lost only ten seconds to Evans.
EK6’s bottom time shook Adrien Fourmauxwho hit Evans and Rovanperä for about ten seconds.
The morning tint was still a Fordin Gregoire Munsterwho was second in the morning opening. He benefited from his bold tire choice with dry pieces when he was the only one without any studded tires.
For EK7, Evans drove the soles. The remainder of the special test became clearly dirtier, but Rovanperä still managed to be the second (+3.7). Despite his output, Neuville survived for service, continued in the afternoon and was EK7’s third (+5.1).
Pajari was only 11th at EK7 and the difference to the top is 46.5 seconds.
– Nothing is wrong. The feeling is not just good. I should just drive, but I can’t get the rhythm or read difficult places, Pajari wondered.
In the morning with canceled, EK8, Evans spun. He lost to the winner of the EK For Sebastien Ogier 14.7 seconds. Ogier rose to the top by 6.8 seconds to Evans. Fourmaux at this stage third (+11.4) and Rovanperä fourth (+29.1).
– My whole family and all my friends were along a piece. Still, I’ve never won it. Now I tried, Ogier said of a special stage that was driven around his home village.
Munster collapsed due to a tire break. Rovanperä lost to the top for more than ten seconds and the difference to the podium grew by more than 17 seconds.
The EK9, the last clip of the day, saw an incomprehensible situation: the same needle eye as in the morning and Thierry Neuville drove out again. He continued again, but the car got hit again.
– I got a tire break earlier and we went to the same bench again. I don’t know if I should have stopped to change the tire before, Neuville said.
Ogier drove again before Fourmaux (+2.8), Evans (+5.8) and Rovanperä (+9.4). The record -breaking Ogier has a tenth win.
Ogier’s lead to Evans increased by 12.6 seconds, Fourmaux’s 14.2 seconds and Rovanperä 38.5 seconds.
When you saw snow and ice, Ogier was attacked.
– You can see how masterfully Ogier dares to drive slippery ice. He is looking for grip and dares to come to the very edge of the ice, Haapamäki, an expert.
Rovanperä was ringing the end of the day in the finish when he was asked how he could improve.
– The driver should be replaced, but it is not possible for the vision.
Haapamäki was pushing, but Rovanperä was the third fastest day and is closer to the prize podium than after Thursday.
-If the bottom time does not come by itself, in Monte, it is not worthwhile for force. The mistake comes really fast then. Wise progress from Kalle. He comes from his own good maximum rides, and he is not overlooked, Haapamäki saw.
Pajari was the third fastest in the opening of the day, but after that the losses were drastic.
– Sam’s future workplace will not be solved by what times in Montte will be at the table. It is essential that he is not fooling around. It comes to mind. When you drive through such a difficult race wisely, the next rallies are much easier, Haapamäki emphasized.
Instead, towels were given to the reigning master Neville, who drove out in the same place in the morning and evening.
– The tire pressure indicator burned, meaning he had a slow tire break before running out. The car didn’t stop as he thought. If he had already noticed the light, then it is a mistake to come to the place so hard.
On Saturday, there will be six special stages in the rally, the first of which will start at 9.56am Finnish time.